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g a z e t t e
april 1991
use of Information Technology. To
this end I enlisted the aid of pro-
fessional consultants, Price
Waterhouse. This is not merely a
computerisation implementation
plan however. It is the intention to
link the business goals and
objectives of the organisation with
the optimum technological require-
ments and organisational functions
to enable better usage of existing
and future resources. Therefore the
Registries as an Organisation are
being examined to determine the
best structures, practices etc. that
would help us fulfil our statutory
requirements most efficiently. This
plan will provide the basis for
development of new technology in
the Registries over the next five
years.
This Strategic Plan will provide
the Registries with a clear direction
regarding the acquisition and
development of technology which
will require a high level of
investment and expenditure in its
initial stages. It will indicate the
applications systems of strategic
importance to the Registries in
" [ T h e ] S t r a t eg ic Pl an w i l l
provide the Registries w i t h a
clear direction . . . "
providing the service or services
which you our customers need and
expect. To this end, as part of the
Planning exercise, the Team
conducting the project have spoken
to some of you in an attempt to
understand and document those
requirements.
Negotiations are ongoing bet-
ween senior staff in the Registry
and Lawlink representatives in
relation to the provision of Direct
Access to the Registrie's databases
by practitioners from their own
P.C/s, which the Minister for
Justice has approved in principle.
This is in response to a proposal
submitted by solicitors to enable
searches and enquiries to be made
via telecommunication links to
solicitor's offices etc. The
Registries are aware of the need in
this modern world for up to the
minute information particularly in
the conveyancing business and we
will be striving to meet that need
whenever possibla
To this end, on the 28 th
September last, a programme
which involved the computerisa-
tion of the Abstract Record against
which all searches are carried out,
was initiated in the Registry of
Deeds. The project commenced
with the data capture of the 1990
Abstract Records which is nearing
completion and the next step of
capturing the previous 10 years
back to 1st January 1980, should
be completed in early 1991. The
longer plan is to capture the manual
Abstract Records for a total of
40 years if the demand justifies
sama
The benefits from this use of
technology will be, I think, obvious
to all. The daily retrieval of heavy
abstract books, possibly demanded
by a number of people at the same
time (the multiplicity of demand
problem again as with the folio) will
be swept away. Finger tip retrieval
of information from a number of
screens allowing multiple access
will be the norm.
The Registry of Deeds system
has been designed with flexibility
in mind to allow it blend with future
requirements and technologies. It is
intended, in time, to extend the
present Grantor Index to include a
Property Index. There are also plans
to provide automated access to the
Memorial.
Integration of all aspects of the
Registries including maps will be
important in the future and this is
one of the key issues being
addressed by the Strategic Plann-
ing Project. The result will be a
greater focus on service and
efficiency, resulting in an improved
service TO YOU, our customers,
with faster turnaround times for all
of the services which the Registries
provide by the optimum use of
technology where appropriate.
We in the Registries are aware
that information is one of our main
commodities whether it be from
our folio, indices, mapping, or
abstract databases and realise that
this information must be made
available to our customers in the
most efficient manner.
As you may be aware, the
Minister for Justice, Mr. Ray Burke
T.D., announced on the 28th of
September 1990 that he had re-
ceived Government approval in
principle to the proposal that the
Land Registry and Registry of
Deeds should be re-constituted as
a Semi-State Body. The Minister
stated that so long as the Registries
continued to be subject to the con-
straints in the areas of staffing and
funding which apply within the
conventional Civil Service struct-
ures, it is well-nigh impossible for
the Registries to provide the public,
their customers, with the standard
of service to which they are
entitled.
The Strategic Planning exercise
has assumed a greater importance
since the Minister's announcement
and will be completed by mid
December. The fact that the
Minister's announcement was
made during the currency of the
Strategic Planning exercise now
means that the Plan will be
orientated specifically towards
operating in a Semi-State environ-
ment.
All of the services and improve-
ments planned and being put into
operation can only be achieved
with your help and co-operation. In
developing new systems all aspects
of present procedures will be
analysed including form formats
and structures with a view to
making entry of information into
our systems as streamlined and as
efficient as possible. This should
result in faster responses to your
needs. Your help and co-operation
will make the Land Registry and
Registry of Deeds the progressive
organisation which will provide
accurate information how you want
it, when you want it and where you
want it.
*The Consultancy exercise was
completed and a Report sent to the
Minister in January, 1991.
ACE
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